Hegseth reportedly makes unannounced visit to Israel, meets Netanyahu
17 sourcesUpdated Oct 20, 20261 min read
As always, it was an honor to visit our warfighters in @CENTCOM today. The best of our country, on a historic mission. Godspeed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X. He confirmed a Middle East trip to visit U.S. troops and did not name a country. Hours earlier, Axios reported, citing two sources, that Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Pentagon declined to comment. Israel's Washington embassy did not immediately comment. Reuters could not independently confirm the meeting. The reported visit came a day after President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu as a Great Warrior Prime Minister and ahead of Israel's October 27, 2026 election, with polls projecting Netanyahu's coalition to lose its majority. Vice President JD Vance told 2WAY he was staying out: I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on the midterms. He added, I'm not anti-endorsing him, but I'm not pro-endorsing him, I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections. Contested: Axios's two-source Israel meeting report versus Hegseth's CENTCOM-only confirmation, Pentagon silence, and no Reuters confirmation.
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Vance saying the US won't intervene makes sense, but this kind of meeting still gives the impression of picking sides in their vote.
Hegseth's unannounced stop in Israel right before their election looks like quiet coordination after Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu.
